Elderflower mania
It's summer in the Netherlands - its so hot i was reluctant to leave the airconditioned supermarket yesterday to walk into the heat of the city. Spring was cold and only a few weeks ago the weather turned nice enough to do away with the wintercoats. Elderflowers everywhere blossomed, I just now uploaded the pics from the camera to my computer.
My grandmother used to make brilliant elderflower cordial. I tried to make it myself twice before, once when i was in Bath. But both times it turned moldy. But then a few weeks ago a colleague talked over lunch about the cordial he had made. Another said se also sometimes made it but now didnt have the time now. These are two blokes. Young, manly, heterosexual, married blokes who make laddish jokes during coffeebreaks. Geeks too.
I know people have always complained about what the worlds coming to, blah blah blah, but i love this world and the people in it. I also think its better then it was 20 years ago, or 30 years ago.
Anyway. That week i went into the suburban park near work and collected flowers. And this time it worked. Apparently the trick is to put lemon juice, lemon parts or citric acid in the water in which the flowers are soaked. The recipe is:
- Leave flowers with lemons/juice/acid in waterfilled glass container for two days.
- Leave container in the sun. (A friend of mine keeps it away from sun, as i havent tried her's yet i cant comment on this method)
- Sieve the water though a cloth. Add sugar.
I boiled one half and just added a little more lemon juice to the other. Neither showed signs of molding in the short 2 weeks my delicious stash lasted. (I have some 500ml still in the freezer).
Meanwhile i had completely succumbed to the elderflower lure. The last week of the elderflowers i had pancakes with elderflower. Twice. (Just added to the mixture in the pan, like you would with cheese)
Collecting flowers in the suburbs reminded me again how much i miss my old place. I dont like that i miss it. I live at a really nice place now, everything i want is a stonethrows away. But yeah, i miss the green and the quiet.
My grandmother used to make brilliant elderflower cordial. I tried to make it myself twice before, once when i was in Bath. But both times it turned moldy. But then a few weeks ago a colleague talked over lunch about the cordial he had made. Another said se also sometimes made it but now didnt have the time now. These are two blokes. Young, manly, heterosexual, married blokes who make laddish jokes during coffeebreaks. Geeks too.
I know people have always complained about what the worlds coming to, blah blah blah, but i love this world and the people in it. I also think its better then it was 20 years ago, or 30 years ago.
Anyway. That week i went into the suburban park near work and collected flowers. And this time it worked. Apparently the trick is to put lemon juice, lemon parts or citric acid in the water in which the flowers are soaked. The recipe is:
- Leave flowers with lemons/juice/acid in waterfilled glass container for two days.
- Leave container in the sun. (A friend of mine keeps it away from sun, as i havent tried her's yet i cant comment on this method)
- Sieve the water though a cloth. Add sugar.
I boiled one half and just added a little more lemon juice to the other. Neither showed signs of molding in the short 2 weeks my delicious stash lasted. (I have some 500ml still in the freezer).
Meanwhile i had completely succumbed to the elderflower lure. The last week of the elderflowers i had pancakes with elderflower. Twice. (Just added to the mixture in the pan, like you would with cheese)
Collecting flowers in the suburbs reminded me again how much i miss my old place. I dont like that i miss it. I live at a really nice place now, everything i want is a stonethrows away. But yeah, i miss the green and the quiet.